May 29, 2017
Mentor Chadwick boosted Maori legal capacity
The judge maker.
That’s how people are describing trail blazing Maori lawyer John Chadwick, who died suddenly on Friday aged 72.
Family friend Merepeka Raukawa-Tait, who was at the Chadwick house over the weekend, says a large number of people came to Rotorua to pay their respects.
As well as supporting his wife Steve as a Labour MP and now mayor of Rotorua, Mr Chadwick served on many Maori and community organisations.
He was one of the founder of the Maori Law Association 20 years ago and started several Maori law practices.
"The accolades that were coming and so many said John was the judge maker. John never made it to be a judge himself but the maori lawyers he mentored and assisted and supported over many a year, many of them have gone on to be judges," Mrs Raukawa Tait says.
John Chadwick was taken to the house Tamatekapua at Ohinemutu this morning, and his funeral service will be at 11am Tuesday.
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